Stefan Christoff and Matana Roberts - "Duet for Abdelrazik (Winter Morning Blues)". The highlight of Christoff's Duets for Abdelrazik LP, for which the pianist collaborated with six different musicians.

Abdelrazik is Abousfian Abdelrazik, a Sudanese-Canadian who was arrested during a visit to Sudan in 2003. Suspected of ties to terrorism, he was tortured. Canadian, French and FBI agents stood in the room with him.

Abdelrazik was ultimately exonerated. But past suspicion led to his listing on UN 1267, the United Nations security council blacklist. It became almost impossible for him to return to Canada. Any Canadian who tried to help him, offering money for a plane ticket, would be breaking the law.

In March 2009, 100 people jointly purchased Abdelrazik's flight home to Montreal.

In November 2011, Abdelrazik was finally removed from UN 1267.

Duets for Abdelrazik was recorded over two winters. Each song features Christoff and another musician. Abdelrazik stood in the room with them.

Sometimes presence is not a small thing. Sometimes it is everything. It is friendship or collusion, solidarity or hate. It is bravery or cowardice, a political act. So listen to Christoff's and Roberts' "Winter Morning Blues" and hear not just their seeking, their tender hearts, their doleful celebration. Hear the air in the room, the wait and glance, the close-to-touch. Hear the particular, personal sadness. And the hope.

[buy]

(album cover by Nazik Dakkach)